1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a thermogenerator for power production in conjunction with a heating device of the combustion type, the hot contact point of at least one thermocouple of the thermogenerator being at the flue gas vent of the heating device and the cold contact site of the thermocouple being on the flow channel for a heat exchange medium of the heating device.
2. Description of Related Art
A thermogenerator of the type to which this invention is directed is known from published German Patent Application DE 40 42 015 A1. Two points for location of the thermocouple are suggested. According to one placement suggestion, the hot contact point of the thermocouple adjoins the combustion chamber, while its cold contact point is located in the flow path of the heat exchanger medium, between an inlet-side radial fan and an area of the flow channel, adjacent to the combustion chamber of the heating device. According to another placement suggestion, the hot contact point of the thermocouple is in thermal contact with the hot flue gas discharged through the flue gas vent and with the hot contact points bordering the inlet side of the flow channel. Special measures for coupling of the contact surfaces of the thermocouple to the hot and cold points of the heating device are not addressed. This means that the thermocouple is essentially in a clamp seat between hot and cold points of the heating device by which only relatively small contact surfaces are formed. As a result, electric power generation by the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides of the thermocouple is greatly limited. Thus, the suggestion in this publication changes nothing fundamental herein, accordingly ribs for heat transfer are provided which are optionally in direct contact with the flue gas or the heat exchanger medium.
Another thermogenerator for power production in conjunction with a heating device is described in the published European Patent Application No. EP 0 290 833 A2. Its thermocouple is formed as a plate-shaped semiconductor component with the side to be heated which is either in the radiant area of the flame of the heating device or in its exhaust stream, and with a cold side located in the inlet area of the still cold heat transfer medium or in the area of the ambient air.
German Patent DE 195 27 740 C1 discloses a circuit of solar cells which are series connected into two groups which are switched in parallel to adapt to the current/voltage characteristic of the respective load, the solar cells in the two groups having different no-load voltages. In this case, the series connection in each group with a lower no-load voltage can be formed selectively in solar cells of the same no-load voltage by a smaller number or in solar cells of different voltage by the same number of solar cells with lower no-load voltage.